Here We Go Again

By now everyone should be aware of what happened in Dallas last Thursday.

Dallas Shooting Suspect, Micah Johnson, ‘Upset at White People’

A military veteran who said his goal was to kill white police officers opened fire Thursday night in downtown Dallas, leaving five officers dead and seven wounded...

Shortly thereafter, similar incidents followed.

Tennessee shooter targeted white victims, similar to Dallas ambush

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has released the name of the suspect behind Thursday morning's random shooting in Bristol, TN that claimed the life of an area newspaper carrier and injured three others, including a local police officer.

The TBI says 37-year-old Lakeem Keon Scott was armed with at least two weapons, an automatic-style rifle, a pistol and a large amount of ammunition...

Preliminary findings indicate Scott may have targeted people and officers after being troubled by recent events involving African-Americans and law enforcement officers in other parts of the country.

Missouri Cop 'Fighting For His Life' After Being Shot in Traffic Stop

A police officer is "fighting for his life" after he was shot during a traffic stop this morning in Ballwin, Missouri...

The incident, which was caught on police dashcam, happened around 11 a.m. local time on Friday when an officer pulled over a vehicle for speeding...

After speaking with the driver, the officer went to his car to do paperwork ... the driver exited his vehicle, approached the officer's car, fired three shots, returned to his vehicle and fled.

The suspect, Antonio Taylor, a 31-year-old black man who was paroled in 2015 after serving time on a federal weapons charge, was charged with assault of a police officer, armed criminal action and a felon in possession of a firearm...

Gunfire strikes San Antonio Police headquarters

Multiple gunshots were fired at the San Antonio Police headquarters building Saturday night... There were no reports of injuries.

Bullet marks were found on the exterior wall of the building, and shell casings were discovered in a nearby alley...

This incident comes as police departments nationwide are on edge following the shooting of 12 police officers in Dallas.

I'm a data guy. My first professional career involved numbers, algorithms, and analytics. My second career relied heavily on data collection and analysis. So when I view the events of the past few days (the Dallas shootings and related aftermath), I get frustrated when so many use emotions in place of analysis and logic.

Here's some numbers to chew on.

Last year (2015) 990 people were shot and killed by police in this country. Approximately 50% were white, 26% were black, and the remainder were hispanic or 'other.' 9% were unarmed. 74% were shot while some sort of attack was in progress.

This year (2016) 512 people have been shot and killed by police to date. That's pretty much on track with last year's numbers. Approximately 47% were white, 24% were black, and the remainder were hispanic or 'other.' 7% were unarmed. Data was not provided regarding whether or not an attack was in progress.

Another piece of data was cited by Milwaukee Sheriff David Clarke (who, BTW, is black).

"Forty percent of law enforcement officers in the country that are killed in the line of duty are killed by black men," Clarke said, pointing out that blacks only represent about fifteen percent of the population.

The data indicate that there is no epidemic of police shooting blacks. The numbers have remained steady.

What has changed is the use of social media to share and encourage emotional and illogical responses to these incidents. We also have grandstanding politicians and their enablers in the press who are busy spinning these tragedies to advance their narrative. For example, in a Facebook post last week obama had this to say.

"What's clear is that these fatal shootings are not isolated incidents. They are symptomatic of the broader challenges within our criminal justice system, the racial disparities that appear across the system year after year, and the resulting lack of trust that exists between law enforcement and too many of the communities they serve."

I guess barry can't be troubled to examine the facts.

He's not alone. Here's what some SJW had to say in the New York Times.

... this brand of tragedy has become routine… Law enforcement, militarized and indifferent to black lives, is the problem.

Of course, hillary had to chime in as well.

Speaking to a largely African-American audience at the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia, (hillary said)... it was important to acknowledge the "implicit bias" in society and some police departments.

(Side note: hillary desperately needs the black vote to help her get elected, so it's not surprising that she's pandering to them. But some conspiracy theorists think there might be another, more sinister explanation.)

I don't doubt that some of the shootings may not have been justified. But there are a myriad of factors in play here - training, mental and emotional composure of the officers involved, experience, actions of the suspects, and yes, possibly even some racial bias. But to tag all shootings as racially motivated, and to paint all cops as indifferent or even hostile to blacks, is not only false and misleading, it is grossly irresponsible. It leads to incidents like the Dallas shootings, and other similar events.

There have also been reports of individual black people and police officers coming together and helping bridge the gap between both sides. Here's one example.

Click to embiggen.

Color me foolishly naive and optimistic, but I hope that the events of the past few days will open eyes on both sides. Regardless of my fetish for data, I realize that perception is important. And right now, rightly or wrongly, blacks perceive that cops represent a threat to them, and are responding accordingly. We have to hope that the police have a better grip on their emotions and don't push back, leading to a vicious cycle of tragedy upon tragedy. We also have to hope that calmer heads will prevail on the other side, and that, over time, a calm and reasonable dialogue will emerge.

Like I said, color me foolishly naive and optimistic...

I Have A Dream

Many of us have long wondered why hillary hasn't been indicted yet for her blatant disregard of laws governing national security and classified information. The easy answer, of course, is that the Justice Department, staffed by obama drones, would never let such an embarrassment come to pass. But with the latest revelation that barry himself emailed hillary at her unsecured private email account, and that at least 18 of those emails are classified, raises a more interesting and troubling possibility - one that might have significant constitutional implications.

Obama may be Ensnared in the Clinton Email Scandal

Perhaps President Obama’s involvement is the reason that the FBI has not yet referred charges to the Justice Department in the Hillary Clinton email case.  It may be metastasizing so quickly and so dangerously that not only are agents and lawyers within the agency having trouble keeping up with new evidence of wrongdoing, but that the scandal itself now threatens a constitutional crisis.  The Department of State’s refusal to release 18 emails exchanged between President Obama and Clinton through her unsecured home server at best creates a conflict of interest for Obama while at worst it raises the likelihood that the President has run afoul of national security laws and ought to be impeached.

(Obama had originally said he learned about the private email through new reports -- a typical Obama story -- but backtracked later.)

... It seems quite likely that in the eighteen emails classified information was discussed as conceived under federal statutes, and (under) one of Obama’s own executive orders regarding dissemination of foreign intelligence...

Beneath all Clinton’s implausible denials and claims of right wing persecution, behind Josh Earnest’s improper insistence that nothing really serious is going on at the FBI, is the very real possibility that Clinton has now enmeshed the President into her scandalous intrigues, with serious constitutional implications.  Obama cannot ethically continue to preside over this investigation (which, effectively, he does as the chief executive.)   But removing himself would require Obama to actually care about the ethics of the matter, and secondly potentially expose himself to criminal liability.   The situation is quite akin to the Watergate scandal at this point, in that government officials have hidden or erased potentially damaging documents, and the President effectively presides over investigations that could subject him, aides, and former aides, to criminal liability.

FBI Director James Comey appears to long have had sufficient evidence to charge Clinton, but seemingly has so far been stayed by countervailing influences.  On the one hand there are obvious political concerns and pressures.   On the other is a continuing flow of evidence against Clinton that only makes the case against her stronger.  But the Obama emails now complicate the case to an extraordinary degree.  Does Comey have them, and if not, has he demanded them?  If Obama refuses, then the President is effectively hiding probative evidence.

If Comey were to get the emails, and they did contain born classified information (as is likely) it would be difficult for Comey to proceed against Clinton without implicating Obama.  Almost certainly, the Obama Justice Department would never pursue a prosecution that exposed him to criminal liability.

... the only other way to achieve a semblance of justice might be through Congressional action.  Obama would then have to formally invoke executive privilege to hide the emails, which would strongly echo Nixonian tactics and be politically damaging, though Republicans would be at risk too.  Hillary would certainly claim that Congressional hearings prove the whole affair is political after all, and the Democrats would try to stymie matters and use the mainstream media to vilify Republicans as they always do.  

  
All this makes FBI Director Comey’s situation increasingly untenable.  He knows now that there is no way Attorney General Loretta Lynch can fairly and properly evaluate the evidence his agents are fast compiling.  If he continues to hesitate, due to political pressure or in hopes of building the perfect case, the situation will fester and worsen.  If Comey is really the stand-up guy that many say, he will act soon, in order to force the hands of Lynch and Obama, put Hillary in the legal peril that she has earned, and Obama in jeopardy too if that is where the evidence leads.  In the probable event the administration does nothing or pushes back against an FBI referral, Comey will have to resign, and Congress will have to act.

Just to make things more interesting, all of this is taking place during a presidential election campaign. I know it's highly unlikely, but thinking about the possibility of hillary winning the democrat nomination and then getting indicted brings a huge smile to my face. The fact that obama might get dragged into the whole mess makes that smile even wider.

As an added bonus, that smile makes my wife wonder what I've been up to...

I Love This Idea

The problem:

Congress passes huge bills, like Obamacare or the recent omnibus spending bill, that contain hundreds of provisions, and occupy thousands of pages — or tens of thousands if you include the ensuing pages of regulations. These bills are so long that literally no one has read the whole thing. They’re not so much bills, really, as Christmas trees on which lobbyists and legislators hang their goodies...

Legislators, and special interests, have a vested interest in sticking together and being sure that the whole bill passes. Individually, most of these lousy provisions wouldn’t pass, but when banded together for mutual protection they can...

... Often, most of the provisions are written by lobbyists and inserted by tame members of Congress. The public isn’t really represented at all. That’s not an accident — it’s by design.

The solution:

... This month, Representative Mia Love, a Republican from Utah, proposed H.R. 4335: One Subject at a Time Act. If passed, the bill would officially limit subsequent legislation to covering one subject at a time, therefore blocking lawmakers from trying to cram gratuitous amendments into unrelated bills... It all seems like a smart way to keep politics a little more honest.

Yes it does, but...

That doesn’t mean D.C. politicians are going to go for it, though. (Some) will oppose it because they’ve personally benefited from the existing loopholes... (Others) aren't going to be keen on this idea since it would inevitably require more work... the process of voting on each topic one vote at a time would prove significantly more time consuming for members of Congress...

That would certainly cut into their boondoggles and reelection efforts.

It also doesn’t help that both major political parties participate in adding “pork” to bills that are considered “must-pass,” meaning that no one’s going to vote against multi-billion dollar budget proposals just because a politician snuck in $2 million for his town to have a government-funded water taxi service...

Love is not the first person in Congress to advocate for this type of change. This past summer, Senator Rand Paul introduced “One Subject at a Time” legislation from his end in the Senate, though his bill never made it through committee. A noted advocate for political transparency, Paul believes that making bills one topic at a time will allow citizens to better understand what’s actually being voted on..

He's right, of course, but that doesn't mean diddly-squat when it comes to the fat cats in D.C.

While Love has eleven cosponsors on her bill, none of them are Democrats. Despite this issue being nonpartisan in theory, it’s probably not something that liberals would push for while they’re in the minority in Congress. If lawmakers had to vote on each item in a budget separately, organizations like Planned Parenthood probably wouldn’t stand a chance, whereas Democrats can currently defend it as part of a bipartisan compromise in a larger spending bill.

As such, political analysts give the bill essentially no chance of passing. Maybe Love should try slipping H.R. 4335 into more popular legislation!

More on H.R. 4335 - it would:

Require that each bill enacted by Congress be limited to only one subject;

End the practice of attaching controversial legislation to unrelated, must-pass bills;

Require the subject of a bill to be clearly state in its title;

Make void in appropriations bills, general legislation that does not pertain to the underlying (appropriations) bill;

Make the legislative process more transparent to the public

Importantly, the bill also provides for judicial review, allowing a court to strike legislation that doesn’t comply.

Our traditional legislative process has gradually broken down over the years  with the growth of gigantic omnibus bills. Once the beltway sleazeballs realized they could get away with it, this all-inclusive CYA approach to legislation became the norm.

As Rep. Love notes, this is how we wound up with an enormous debt and with a Congress that few Americans respect.

Getting the bill passed is a long shot, but it damn sure is worth a try. I've already contacted my congresscritter urging him to support it. I strongly suggest you do the same.

Side note: here's a picture of Rep. Love (R-Utah). Not what I expected, but a great illustration that the republicans aren't a good ol' boys club.

Some Good News For A Change

Tired of all the gloom and doom in the news? Sick unto death of political commentators bloviating on the upcoming Iowa and New Hampshire primaries?

Yeah, me too. So I thought it was time for a feel-good story.

A mother of two boys was touched by a selfless act of kindness when her local repair man fixed her furnace free of charge.

Bridget Stevens returned to her Pittsburgh-area home earlier this month and realized her furnace was not functioning.

Stevens texted her husband, Bobby, who is deployed overseas with the National Guard. When Bobby couldn't figure out what to do, she called Betlyn Heating and Cooling in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. Owner Paul Betlyn immediately came to the rescue.

Betlyn, who has been in the business for more than 30 years, fixed the furnace quickly. Although the repair normally would have cost approximately $150, Betlyn said he decided to do the job without charging Stevens. He wrote on her bill, which came up to $1, that she received a "deployment discount."

"I was completely overwhelmed and in shock when Paul handed me the slip," Stevens told ABC News. "I didn't really know what to say, and I still have a hard time finding the words to truly express my appreciation."

Betlyn, 65, told ABC News his late grandfather, who is also named Paul, taught him about the importance of helping others and giving back to the community.

"My grandfather was a milkman during the Great Depression and many times he'd go to the door and the woman didn't have any money for milk. But the baby was crying in the background. So he'd put the milk on the table," he explained. "And when I heard about Bridget with her husband being deployed...I put the milk on the table."

Betlyn insisted that what he did was nothing special. "I'm not the hero here. The deployed, they're the heroes," he clarified.

Stories like this make me feel much better about our country.

And if anyone out there is from the Pittsburgh area, please consider calling Mr. Betlyn the next time you need heating or A/C work done.

Happy New Year 2016

My wife and I are at that stage of life where we prefer to spend a quiet evening at home as opposed to going out for New Year's Eve.

No, not that kind of evening at home. Did I mention that we're old...?

We just kicked back, drank a little champagne, and watched some football. You know - old, boring, married people stuff.

Our kids, on the other hand, had places to go, people to see, and parties to attend. Fortunately, both of them are responsible enough that they made arrangements ahead of time to spend the night at their respective parties.

I hope your New Year's Eve was as satisfying as ours. Best wishes to you and yours for a Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous 2016!

Christmas 2015

As always, my sincere wish for everyone this Christmas season:

Peace on Earth. Good Will towards Men.

May it come true this year.

Sing Your Heart Out

Today is Christmas Eve. In the spirit of the season, go out and sing a few Christmas carols. Not only will it put you in the holiday spirit, it will make you healthier.

Sing your heart out this Christmas – it’s good for you

The Christmas holidays are a busy time for choirs and carol singers who are busy hitting all the right notes and not just for the benefit of the audience – it’s good for the singers too.

A recent study from Oxford Brookes University concluded that singing was the “most cost-effective way to improve people’s wellbeing” and that choir singing encouraged bonding in a group.

Previous studies have shown singing in a group could be a boost because breathing in synchrony triggers feel-good chemicals in the brain. It’s even thought to help strengthen the immune system and early studies show benefits for people with Alzheimer’s.

Dermot O’Callaghan, chief executive of the Association of Irish Choirs, says the benefits of singing are multifaceted. He encourages everyone, regardless of tone, to belt out a few lines whenever possible.

“Singing is good for mental, emotional and physical health,” he says. “Some of the obvious direct results of singing are elevated mood, improved memory and increased concentration. Stress and anxiety have also been proven to be significantly reduced after singing.

“All too often people have been told their singing voices are ‘not good’ or they may have developed that perception themselves. Obviously, like in all activities, some are more naturally gifted than others . . . but the benefits of singing are the same regardless of the level of accomplishment.”

So even if you're like me and can't carry a tune in a bucket, cast aside your inhibitions and let loose with a few carols. You'll feel better for it, both spiritually and physically (and if you're like me, your singing will improve dramatically with a wee bit o' whiskey).

Of course, not everyone is as mentally stable as you and I. Here's some Christmas carols for the mentally disturbed.

And what collection of Christmas carols would be complete without one dedicated to my family:

Hugs All Around

It's been a week full of depressing and aggravating news. I figure it's time for a feel-good story that will remind us there are still wonderful people out there.

She’s Hugged Over 500,000 Soldiers. Now They’re Saying ‘Thank You’ in a Special Way

Elizabeth Laird is known to most soldiers simply as “the Hug Lady.” For nearly 12 years the 83-year-old has been greeting deploying and returning soldiers at Fort Hood. She is often the last civilian to see them off and the first to welcome them home.

It all started with handshakes, but then one day a soldier coming through wanted a hug. And then they all wanted hugs. Laird says that since that day, she has probably hugged over 500,000 soldiers...

But recent events have made it impossible for Laird to be where she’d like to be, greeting soldiers at the airport: she’s been hospitalized since early November due to the breast cancer she has been fighting since 2005. It was her fear that the hugs had come to an end.

When word got out that Laird could no longer bring the hugs to them, though, soldiers began to take the hugs to her...

The “Hug Lady” even received a letter from former President George W. Bush thanking her for her dedication to American soldiers:

Good for George Bush. Good for every soldier who has repaid her hug. And good for us that we can have our spirits lifted by such a special lady.

Good News For A Change

It's time for some good news for a change. Here are three stories that will (1) make your eyes mist up, (2) fill you with warmth and gladness, and (3) put a smile on your face and a song in your heart.

First, the tear-jerker:

'Hugging Dogs' Saved From Euthanasia

Two dogs seen in a viral photograph hugging each other hours before they were set to be euthanized now have a forever home with two human best friends in Georgia...

The dogs -- Kala, an 11-month old hound mix, and Keira, a 15-month old boxer mix -- stole hearts on the Internet this past July when Angels Among Us Pet Rescue in Georgia posted the photo of them hugging.

(Kala and Keira were) permanently adopted by two longtime best friends and roommates in Georgia, identified as Wendy and Pam...

Pam had recently lost her two elderly dogs when she saw Kala and Keira's story in a magazine and realized the hugging pups were still available, the pet rescue said.

"It just fell together," Pam said, according to the pet rescue. "We turned our tears into smiles with these two young, playful dogs."

The 'hugging dogs' photo that led to the happy ending.

Kala and Keira with their new family.

Dusty in here...

Next is a great story about the milk of human kindness freely flowing to a man who more than deserves it.

83-Year-Old Who Pushed Lawnmower Miles To Work Gifted New Truck

His name is John Joyce. The 83-year-old man from St. Petersburg, Fla., mows lawns to earn some extra cash after retirement. Only his 1995 Ford F150 pickup broke around a month ago, and without the money to repair it, Joyce has been pushing his lawnmower over 2.5 miles to work ever since.

John Joyce walking to work.

After learning of the one hour walk the elderly man was taking to their house, Robert and Nikki Horton knew they needed to help. They set up a Go Fund me page, raising $13,000 in just two weeks—enough to buy Joyce a V-8-powered 2004 Nissan Titan, cover his insurance, supply some gas and even throw in some newer lawn equipment.

Mr. Joyce's new truck.

By the time the elderly man was ready to claim the keys to his Titan SE King Cab pickup a short while later, the Horton’s couldn’t contain their tears. Joyce climbed aboard his new ride, equally as choked up: “I feel like a millionaire,” he said, repeatedly.

According to one of Joyce’s family members, he’s not always been blessed with good things in life. So this moment—the compassion of one family and indeed an entire community—she said, is very special.

“I can’t think of anybody who deserves it more than him,” said Nikki Horton, who’s idea it was to set up the Go Fund me page.

As Joyce fired up his new truck for the first time, one reporter asked him: “You ready to mow some lawns?”

“Yes, Sir,” he replied.

That man has so many of the attributes that made this country great. I wish we had millions more like him - or at least that the current 'younger generation' would learn a few things from him.

And God Bless everyone who chipped in to help him out.

Our last story is a great example of karma. It should make y'all feel really, really good!

ISIS rapper killed in air strike

A German rapper who joined the Islamic State group and publicly threatened President Barack Obama was killed in a US air strike in Syria, a defense official said.

Denis Cuspert, also known by his artist name Deso Dogg, used to rap in Berlin and was one of the most famous Western fighters for the IS extremist group.

"I can confirm that an October 16 strike near Raqa killed Denis Cuspert," US Defense Department spokeswoman Elissa Smith said.

Cuspert joined IS in 2012 and went on to appear in numerous videos from the militant group, including one in November last year "in which he appears holding a severed head he claims belongs to a man executed for opposing ISIL," the State Department previously said.

A picture taken on June 20, 2005 shows German rapper Denis Cuspert, also known as Deso Dogg.

Karma's a bitch. Rot in Hell, mofo.

Now go forth and have a great day!

A Feel-Good Story

I've had enough gloom-and-doom news lately to last me a lifetime. Time for something that will bring a smile to my face (and a tear to my eye).

Top brass at a Colorado Army post are all smiles after a 2-year-old girl interrupted a general's speech to dash across the room and hug her dad, who had just come home from a nine-month deployment.

Fort Carson spokeswoman Dani Johnson says "everyone thought it was awesome" when 1st Lt. Daniel Oglesby's daughter Karas gave him a knee-high embrace during the homecoming ceremony Tuesday.

Oglesby was standing in formation with other members of the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team when his daughter galloped toward him, arms outstretched.

Johnson says everyone in the room laughed, including Maj. Gen. Ryan Gonsalves, the post commander, who was welcoming the soldiers home at the time.

Oglesby hugged and kissed his girl and sent her back across the room to her mom and sister.

"She was excited. She spotted me from a couple rows back, and she couldn't contain herself. I wasn't gonna tell her no," Oglesby told KKTV of Colorado Springs.

Little girl runs to dad
Best video of the day! A little girl couldn't wait for a homecoming ceremony to end at Fort Carson before she ran to her Daddy! KKTV photojournalist Pedro Laumbach captured this awesome moment. We know you'll "like" it as much as we do in our newsroom. http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/homecoming-331034542.html
Posted by KKTV 11 News on Tuesday, October 6, 2015

I feel much better now...

Do You Think I'm Sexy*

Imagine my surprise when I found out that babes everywhere consider me the hottest thing around this summer.

Well, not me individually, but me as a prototype for the latest trend that has ladies going ga-ga; the Dadbod.

Worried about getting in shape for the beach season? Maybe you feel just like me, that you have an extra couple of pounds around your waist and belly? Don’t worry. You will be the hottest thing this summer.

Because the latest trend is the “dadbod”, or the dad body.

What exactly is the "dadbod," you ask?

The dad bod is a nice balance between a beer gut and working out. The dad bod says, "I go to the gym occasionally, but I also drink heavily on the weekends and enjoy eating eight slices of pizza at a time." It's not an overweight guy, but it isn't one with washboard abs, either.

A typical Dadbod.

So why do chicks dig the Dadbod? Here's what the ladies say.

It doesn't intimidate us.

Few things are worse than taking a picture in a bathing suit, one being taking a picture in a bathing suit with a guy who is crazy fit. We don't want a guy that makes us feel insecure about our body. We are insecure enough as it is. We don't need a perfectly sculpted guy standing next to us to make us feel worse.

We like being the pretty one.

We love people saying "they look cute together." But we still like being the center of attention. We want to look skinny and the bigger the guy, the smaller we feel and the better we look next to you in a picture.

Better cuddling.

No one wants to cuddle with a rock. Or Edward Cullen. The end.

Good eats.

The dad bod says he doesn't meal prep every Sunday night so if you want to go to Taco Tuesday or $4 pitcher Wednesday, he'd be totally down. He's not scared of a cheat meal because he eats just about anything and everything.

You know what you're getting.

Girls tend to picture their future together with their guys early on. Therefore, if he already has the dad bod going on, we can get used to it before we date him, marry him, have three kids. We know what we are getting into when he's got the same exact body type at the age of 22 that he's going to have at 45.

Adding icing to the cake, there is research that indicates men with Dadbods make better lovers.

Men With Big Bellies Make Better Lovers (Says Science)

Hey ladies: take a break from chasing that six-packed Adonis and instead divert your gaze to the oft-overlooked Homer Simpson doppelganger. You may thank us for it.

A study out of Turkey concluded that overweight men with obvious bellies last longer in bed than their thinner counterparts. These heroic researchers (dedicated to finding answers to life's big problems) studied the BMI and sexual performance of 100 men seeking help for sexual dysfunctions contrasted against 100 men who reported no problems.

The result? Men with a higher BMI and, yes, unsightly guts, lasted an average of 7.3 minutes where the slimmer of the group could barely hold on for 2 minutes. Ouch, right? A five-minute difference is pretty significant. As in three times as long kind of significant. In fact, they found skinnier guys more likely to suffer from premature ejaculation, too.

So there you have it, ladies. If you want to be hip and with-it, plus get mind-blowing sex to boot, find yourself a guy with a little padding around the midsection.

Once you've had Dadbod, you'll never go back...

*Another 'name that title reference' contest.

My New Heroes

In addition to the midshipmen who placed themselves between the peaceful protesters rioters and innocent bystanders in Baltimore, I have a couple of other new heroes.

The first one you have probably seen by now. This video of a mother whapping her son upside his empty head has gone viral. If there were more parents like her, there would be fewer thugs and criminals on the streets.

At least one Baltimore, Maryland, citizen is safe from the riots that have engulfed the city...

Shot by local ABC affiliate WMAR, the video shows an unnamed Baltimore teen, who WMAR said had been throwing rocks at police, being forcibly dragged away from the scene of the riot by his unhappy mother, after she apparently spotted him on television.

"You want to be out here doing this dumb s---?" the woman asks her son, before slapping him in the face a few times.

She's got my vote for Mother of the Year.

My second new hero is David Clarke, Jr., Sheriff of Milwaukee County. The good sheriff "dropped a truth-bomb this morning on “mealy-mouth” politicians and “lib policies” who he believes are responsible for the events we’re seeing in Baltimore:"

A man after my own heart...

A Silver Lining In Baltimore

Amidst the chaos that is destroying Baltimore - and escalating racial tension nationwide - comes this story of a few very special young people doing the right thing.

A patio chair smashed the sandwich shop window.

Glass fell around Midshipman Brad Kadlubowski, seated before a window, at the Subway shop in Baltimore.

Inside, a father steered his wife and two children to the back of the shop on Saturday. His son has asthma; the father worried about tear gas.

Another chair smashed another window.

Everyone to the back, the midshipmen instructed.

Families and Naval Academy midshipmen had come for dinner before Saturday's Orioles game. Protests over the death of Freddie Gray began peacefully that day, but ended with confrontation...

Some midshipmen didn't know about the ongoing protests when they arrived Saturday in Baltimore.

"I didn't realize it would be so close to Camden Yards," said Midshipman Madisen Grinnell, 18, of Sacramento, Calif., on Monday.

She and nine other midshipmen found themselves caught in the protests.

These midshipmen directed families to the back of the Subway. Then they lined up, in front of families, as protesters passed outside, some throwing rocks. Women and children gathered farthest from the windows, except for Grinnell, the only female there from the Naval Academy.

"You're in the military and a midshipmen — you should be in the front," she insisted.

Kadlubowski, of Colorado Springs, Colo., was uninjured when glass fell around him. He escorted the store manager to the door.

"I made sure he could lock the door without problem," Kadlubowski said.

On Monday, academy officials received an email from a grateful father in the Subway shop.

"The plebes were the last to seek safety and only did so after they made sure all others were safely away from the windows," wrote Robert Oshinsky of Montgomery County. "My wife and children were scared but I believe a little less so as a result of the actions."

The midshipmen left the baseball game early and returned without incident to the Naval Academy.

"I don't think it occurred to any of us that we were doing anything special," Sabelstrom said.

It's a crying shame that our public officials don't have the same courage, integrity, and willingness to do what is right.

As long as we are fortunate enough to have people like these among us, the Navy - and our country - is in very good hands.

This photo was taken by Robert Oshinsky of Montgomery County after rioters smashed windows at a Subway sandwich shop on West Pratt Street in Baltimore on Saturday, he said. Some midshipmen from the Naval Academy were at the shop and took charge as chairs and rocks broke windows, Oshinsky said - Original Credit: (Courtesy of Robert Oshinsky, HANDOUT / April 25, 2015)

From left, Erik Sabelstrom, 19, of Colorado Springs, Colo.; Brad Kadlubowski, 19, of Colorado Springs, Colo.; Madisen Grinnell, 18, of Sacramento, Calif.; and Harrison Yost, 19, of Auburn, Ala. were among about 10 midshipmen caught in a protest Saturday in Baltimore. The midshipmen directed families to the back of a Subway sandwich shop when protesters began throwing chairs through the windows. ( By Tim Prudente, / April 26, 2015 )

Bluebonnets Rule!

Yesterday I took a day off from being retired (hah! - it's good to be retired). My wife and I cruised the Texas Bluebonnet Trail. More commentary and pictures to follow, but here's a preview of coming attractions.

Pumped Up!!!

Just watched the U.S. Army band - trumpets and drums - play the National Anthem before the NCAA championship basketball game, accompanied by an eagle soaring around the arena.  God Damn did that get me pumped up. I wanna grab an M-16 and run around shooting terrorists.

USA! USA! USA!

Finally!

We've had almost two weeks of dismal, dank weather. We've suffered through constant overcast and continuous drizzle. For the most part it's been cold as well. Even when we had a day or two of relatively mild temperatures, the clouds and drizzle hung around. It never rained hard, but there was always moisture in the air in the form of mist or drizzle. My windshield wipers have been permanently set on "Intermittent."

All that changed today. Late this morning the sun finally - FINALLY! - came out. I blew the cobwebs off my sunglasses, harnessed up the dogs, and went for a nice long walk. The temperature is still hovering near freezing and the wind is howling out of the north at around 25 MPH, but I don't care. It's sunny!!!

Now I know why so many people were sun worshipers. It is remarkable how much difference it makes.

A Place In The Sun

A friend of ours owns a private island.

He's an interesting guy. He grew up on a dairy farm outside of Pearland TX. He worked his butt off to get through college, then headed off to Hawaii and became a hotel general manager. Met a wonderful gal there (much too good for him), and eventually returned to the mainland and went to grad school at UT (that's the University of Texas, for you foreigners out there)..

Graduated with his MBA and went to work for a large international consulting firm. If you know anything about consulting firms, you know that, like large law firms, they chew up and spit out junior level employees. Long hours, lots of travel, lousy assignments and working conditions, the whole nine yards. But after three or four years those who survive and prosper can achieve great things. My friend was fast-tracked to a partnership. What the consulting firm didn't realize was that as they were using and abusing him, he was soaking up what made them successful like a sponge. After a decade or so he left them and started his own consulting firm, specializing in the nexus of technology, business processes, and innovation. However, his dream has always been to find Margaritaville.

He first became aware of the island while evaluating Caribbean real estate for an investor group. It had been neglected by the owner, damaged by storms, and generally was run down and ill kept. It needed a lot of work to become habitable again. The investors were looking for something that was ready for immediate use, so they passed on it. But my buddy saw a lot of potential there.

The price was right - that is to say, dirt cheap. He was able to raise some capital to buy the land. The rest was sweat equity: put together a local team (qualified people who would do the work in exchange for a promise of a share of the profits, assuming there were any); renovate the buildings; repair and upgrade the infrastructure; obtain furniture, linens, kitchen equipment, and other necessary items; acquire the recreation equipment (jetskis, kayaks, boats, etc.); build a management and marketing team; and all the other activities associated with starting up a small resort.

He has succeeded magnificently.

The finished product is a small luxury resort on a private island a short distance off the coast of Belize. Belize is an interesting place. Like the U.S., it's a melting pot of several cultures and languages. It's official language is English (a residue of its history as a British colony), which is almost universally spoken to one degree or another. Other commonly spoken languages include a local form of Creole, Spanish, and Mayan. The people we met were likewise diverse, descended from indigenous Mayans, transplanted slaves, German Mennonites, Spaniards, and a sprinkling of others. Regardless of their ethnic background, everyone we met was universally warm, friendly, and welcoming.

Belize is also a well-known tourist destination, which brings us back to the island. Under its new name - Royal Belize - it is marketed as an all-inclusive private luxury getaway.

The very essence of privacy and luxury. An entire 7.5 acre Caribbean island for your exclusive use. A completely personalized experience.

Complete with a full staff including a manager, concierge and cook, you will enjoy paradise with your closest friends and family, or just you and someone very special. Spend your days relaxing or stay busy with beach games, jet skis, sea kayaks, snorkeling, scuba, sailing and fishing. If you care to venture off of the island, your concierge can arrange a variety of activities including zip lining, waterfall hiking, helicopter tours, cave tubing and excursions to the Mayan ruins.

Because it is so small - there are only five bedrooms, located in three different villas - it is managed as an exclusive resort. That is, only one party is booked at a time, so you will know everyone there. The price seems high at first glance, but it includes everything - and I mean everything. There were no add-on fees, extra charges, additional taxes, or other surprises. We didn't pay a penny more than the agreed upon rate. And since we are friends of the owner, we got a generous friends-and-family discount.

Getting there was a piece of cake. One hour flight from San Antonio to Houston. Two hour flight to Belize City. Fifteen minute flight (in a 14-seat Cessna) to Dangriga. Twenty-five minute boat ride to the island. We were met at the dock by the island staff holding tall glasses of rum punch. Great way to start a vacation.

Once we were there, it was literally a tropical paradise. Meals that were the equivalent of five-star restaurants. An incredibly attentive and accommodating staff. Top-notch facilities. Many activities to choose from - too many to experience them all in a four day trip. If you're into scuba or snorkeling, it can't be beat. We also managed to squeeze in some down time - lounging around, working on our tans and catching up on our reading.

Don't get the wrong idea. We're not jet-setters. In fact, one of the reasons we were so impressed by the resort is because it's the type of place that we typically can't afford to visit. It was great to see how the other half lives.

So if you win the lottery - or even if you don't, but you have a hankering for a once in a lifetime trip - check out Royal Belize. The price may sound a little steep at first, but divide it by ten people (or whatever the size of your party is), and keep in mind that you won't have to pay another penny for anything else once you get there.

In my honest opinion it is one of the best experiences you'll ever enjoy. (And I didn't get paid to promote the place.)

Us Vs. Them

I despise racial politics. I firmly believe in Martin Luther King's dream.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

Sadly, that dream is becoming more and more unlikely.

Today the idea of not being judged by the color of one’s skin but being judged by the content of one’s character is as farcical as the idea of unicorns. Judging based on color of skin is exactly the barometer race-mongers and racialists measure with today; content of character be damned.

... Obama would never have been elected if he were white. The color of his skin has been, and continues to be, his trump card that forgives his most egregious acts as an elected official; and the color of his skin certainly forgives his transpicuous shortcomings on a personal level. It is the color of his skin that (in large part) has protected him (thus far) from impeachment. I defy one of the voices who have, with feigned solemnity, uttered Dr. King’s now famous words to argue they would stand passionately silent if Obama were a white president.

Content of character is waived when talking about Trayvon Martin. Content of character is waived when speaking of personal responsibility as it pertains to blacks. Content of character is waived when it comes to Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, the New Black Panther Party et al.

It is worth noting that the above was penned not by a Grand Dragon of the KKK, or even a Tea Party member. Rather, it was a black commentator who dared to call a spade a spade (okay, that was a bad pun, but with no racial animus intended).

It is also worth noting that there are disturbing facts to back up the common perception that democrats are becoming the party of choice for most people of color, while white voters are turning to the republicans. Policy differences aside, it augers ill to see our two major parties splitting along racial lines.

The Democratic Party is going extinct in places like Louisiana, Arkansas and West Virginia. It’s vanishing because the working class White Democrat is becoming extinct.

A generation ago, white Democrats outnumbered white Republicans. Today it’s the other way around. Under Obama, barely a quarter of white people still identify as Democrats.

The latest Pew poll shows that 74 percent of Democrats support ObamaCare, but only 29 percent of white respondents do. The Democratic Party is becoming a party without white people. Under Obama, the Democratic disadvantage among white voters doubled without any corresponding gains among minority voters.

Meanwhile Republicans increased their share of white voters. And that’s only telling part of the story.

The nation’s largest party is “none of the above”. Independents began to decisively outnumber both parties under Obama. Hispanic voters are increasingly identifying as independents. So are white men.

And though the independents come from both parties, they increasingly swing Republican in key races.

Tribalism helped Obama win a second term, but it didn’t fix the underlying flaw in the Democratic model. And it actually worsened the situation. The more the Democrats sounded racially divisive notes, the more they alienated white voters, not just by abusing them, but by ignoring their concerns.

Republican congressional candidates won 64 percent of white working class voters. (Democrat Mary) Landrieu won just 18 percent of the white vote (in the 2014 Louisiana senate race); 22 percent among white women and 15 percent among white men. That’s less than the amount taken by a second Republican candidate in the race, Rob Maness.

(Democrat) Mark Pryor won only 31 percent of white voters (in his Arkansas reelection contest). (Democrat Michelle) Nunn won 23 percent of white voters (in the Georgia 2014 senate race). The Dems didn’t do this badly everywhere, but where they lost it was usually because the white vote sharply tilted away from them enough to offset their overwhelming minority percentages.

The Democrats have a white voter problem. The party is betting that it won’t outlast Obama because it confused its own propaganda with reality and decided that white voters hate Obama because he’s black.

It was never Obama’s race that was the problem. It was the Democratic Party’s embrace of leftist radicalism at the national level while waging identity politics wars along the lines of race and gender.

Republicans don’t have a problem with black people. Democrats do have a problem with white people.

The party is now under the sway of an elitist class of white leftists for whom “white people” is an insult, not a group of voters. And by “white people” they mean the sort of voters who conclusively tossed them out in West Virginia, Nevada and Arkansas.

Now the Democrats are hoping that Hillary Clinton can save their party, but first she has to decide who she is. Hillary has tried to play up racial appeals to white voters before overcorrecting and going the other way. At times she sounds like she wants to appeal to working class voters and at other times she returns to her native element pushing the policy toys of the technocracy.

Instead of the Democratic Party’s Great White Hope, Hillary more closely resembles Mary Landrieu veering between accusations of racism and support for the Keystone pipeline. The left’s attacks on Landrieu for supporting the pipeline only highlight the impossible dilemma of any Democrat trying to run to the right of Obama and Nancy Pelosi. They have to either abandon their voters or their party.

The Democratic Party has moved so far to the left that it has alienated all white voters who aren’t on the left and its botched programs like ObamaCare are even beginning to alienate minority voters. Minority support for ObamaCare has hit a new low. Finding white support for ObamaCare requires a microscope.

But the Democratic Party can’t change. It has become dependent on a small donor class of men like Bloomberg, Soros and Steyer whose ad buys and think tanks dictate their agenda. To win, Hillary, Biden and any other candidate must first win over billionaires whose priorities of gun control, no pipeline and lots of big government are exactly the things that have pushed the Democratic Party to the edge.

If Hillary doesn’t win (the 2016 election), one of the big two parties may go extinct. But it won’t be the Republicans.

Let us hope so.

A Ray Of Sunshine

Okay, enough islamic terrorist related gloom and doom for now. It's a football weekend, what with the NFL playoffs Saturday and Sunday, and the collegiate national championship* Monday night.

(I've asterisked the so-called national championship because at least two teams - TCU and Baylor - who have a pretty good shot at defeating both Oregon and Ohio State were excluded from the playoff for no good reason. Both are small market schools with a small national following, compared to the football factory schools that were selected. IMO the fix was in.)

Anyway, I'm conflicted this weekend. I was raised a Cowboys fan (way back when, in the days of Tom Landry and Dandy Don Meredith), and those roots are hard to ignore. But I despise Jerry Jones. So I find myself torn between cheering for the 'Boys and rooting against that asshole Jerry. The good news is that I'll have something to celebrate no matter if they win or lose.

I really don't feel strongly about the other teams, except that I hate the Seahawks (Pete Carroll is a world-class jerk), don't care for the Jaguars (Cam Newton is a conceited prima donna), can't stand the Ravens (any organization that makes a hero out of a murderous felon - Ray Lewis - deserves nothing but scorn, and John Harbaugh is obnoxious), dislike the Patriots (Bill Belichick is a grouch, but Tom Brady is okay - and his wife is hot!), and refuse to root for the Colts because of the way they shafted Baltimore back in 1984.

That leaves three teams - the aforementioned Cowboys; their opponents this weekend, the Green Bay Packers; and the Denver Broncos.

Like I said, when it comes to the Cowboys I'm ambivalent. I like the Packers. Aaron Rodgers and Mike McCarthy seem like decent, honorable people worthy of respect and admiration. But I'll be pulling for the Denver Broncos to win it all, for one simple reason.

Peyton Manning.

Woman's Letter to Peyton Manning Results in Surprise Call

A woman in Alaska sent a letter to legendary NFL quarterback Peyton Manning and never expected what would happen three months later, when she received a phone call from police.

The IndyStar reports that Indiana native Kristen Patterson penned a letter to Manning on September 21 on behalf of her husband, Army Sgt. Ryan Patterson, asking the star quarterback if there was any way he would be willing to meet Ryan. Her letter stood out to Manning, but she forgot to leave contact information, and with the couple living in North Pole, Alaska, it took Manning three months to finally track them down.

Patterson’s letter read:

Dear Mr. Manning,

My name is Kristen Patterson. I am writing to ask a question. You see my husband is a HUGE fan, and when I say HUGE I mean it. He is currently serving our country in the United States Army and has deployed twice to Afghanistan. He would set alarms to wake up at odd hours in the night just to listen to your football games. We recently had to move across the country for the Army and he tried to get us stationed in Colorado just so he could ensure that he would never miss your games.

We will be attending the Bengals vs. Broncos game on December 22, 2014, while home for the holidays, and it would mean so much to my husband if you might be able to find the time to just even say hello, not to mention it would make me to coolest wife ever of all time. I know you are a busy man, and if you can’t, it will be ok. I just thought I might ask in the rare chance that you might agree to this.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Sincerely,

Kristen Patterson

Manning was so touched after reading the letter that he had his public relations team find out how to get in touch with Patterson. Three months later, she received a call from the Alaska State Troopers.

“When I got a call from (an Alaska) State Trooper they asked if I wrote a letter to Peyton Manning,” Patterson said, according to 9News. She added that she was initially confused by the call, which Manning had arranged for the police to make to help keep the meeting a secret from her husband.

“They said the Denver Broncos were trying to get a hold of me,” she continued. “When I sent it, you never know if someone is going to read it or if it is going to be tossed in a pile. So I thought they never read it, no big deal.”

After getting off the phone, Patterson told her husband that it was about a police dog demonstration at the school where she works to help continue the secret. She was able to keep her husband in the dark about it until they arrived in Cincinnati at the Broncos team hotel on December 21.

“I was trying to keep it as a surprise, but I’m a horrible liar and I couldn’t think of a reason why we would be going to a hotel,” she said. “It would have been really hard to keep it (a secret), plus he needed time to process everything.”

Not all was lost, however, as Ryan just thought they would be doing the typical meet-and-greet in the hotel lobby with the rest of the fans who had gathered. However, much to Ryan’s surprise, the Pattersons were escorted up an escalator to a private conference room.

“The team’s flight was delayed, so I was pacing the room like I was expecting a child. I saw (Manning) come up the escalator and my first reaction was he is at least 15 feet tall, if not taller,” Ryan said. He added that Manning introduced himself and played with Patterson’s young daughter for a moment or so, then thanked him for his service. The family also took pictures with Manning, and he gave Ryan a signed football.

Ryan and his wife said that Manning was personable, approachable, and most importantly, genuine. “He seemed genuinely tickled that we lived in North Pole, Alaska. He said, ‘You guys are really hard to find,'” Ryan said.

Manning shook Ryan’s hand and again thanked him for his service. In return, Ryan thanked Manning for being his quarterback.

As for the couple, it seems as if meeting one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL isn’t something they’ll soon forget.

“(Kristen) enjoyed the fact that she is the greatest wife ever and there was nothing I could ever do to top this,” Ryan said. “If you asked me who is the one person, anybody in the world, I want to meet, I would immediately say Peyton Manning and she made that happen.”

Peyton Manning has always been a class act, but to see him go to such great lengths in order to make a soldier’s dream come true is awesome and refreshing.

Class act, indeed.

Peyton Manning with the Pattersons

Happy New Year 2015

In spite of the excesses of last night - or perhaps because of them - I'd like to start the New Year off with a prayer.

Dear Lord,

So far this year I've done well.

I haven't gossiped, I haven't lost my temper, I haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or overindulgent. I'm very thankful for that.

But in a few minutes, Lord, I'm going to get out of bed, and from then on I'm probably going to need a lot more help.

Amen

This is also the day when we traditionally make resolutions for the New Year. Here's my thoughts on that.